Resistance vs. Capacitance — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on September 28, 2023
Resistance is the opposition to the flow of electric current, measured in ohms (Ω), while capacitance is the ability of a system to store an electric charge, measured in farads (F).
Difference Between Resistance and Capacitance
Table of Contents
ADVERTISEMENT
Comparison Chart
Definition
Opposition to the flow of electric current.
Ability of a system to store an electric charge.
Measured In
Ohms (Ω).
Farads (F).
Function in Circuits
Controls and reduces current flow, dissipates energy.
Stores and releases electric charge, stabilizes voltage.
Component Representing
Resistor.
Capacitor.
Application in Electronics
Managing current flow and voltage levels.
Timing circuits, signal filtering, and voltage stabilization.
ADVERTISEMENT
Compare with Definitions
Resistance
A characteristic of electrical components used to control the current flow and protect other components.
By adjusting the resistance in the circuit, we can protect delicate components from high currents.
Capacitance
A measure, in farads, of a system's ability to store electric charge.
A higher capacitance value allows the component to store more electric charge.
Resistance
The hindrance or opposition to the flow of electric current within a circuit.
The light bulb has a resistance of 60 ohms, limiting the current flow through it.
Capacitance
The characteristic of electrical components used for stabilizing voltage fluctuations and managing signal filtering.
The capacitance in the power supply helps in maintaining a stable voltage output.
Resistance
A measure, in ohms, of the degree to which a conductor opposes the electric current.
A higher resistance value in the circuit means less current will flow through it.
Capacitance
The property of an electrical system to store charge between two conductive plates separated by an insulator.
The capacitance of the capacitor determines how much charge it can store.
Resistance
The phenomenon responsible for energy dissipation in the form of heat in electrical circuits.
The resistance in the heating element converts electric energy to heat.
Capacitance
An integral property for the functioning of sensors, oscillators, and many other electronic components.
Capacitance is crucial in touch sensors, affecting their sensitivity and response.
Resistance
The refusal to accept or comply with something
They displayed a narrow-minded resistance to change
Capacitance
The ability of a capacitor to store energy in an electric field and release it when needed.
The capacitance of the timing capacitor determines the blink rate of the LED in a blinker circuit.
Resistance
The ability not to be affected by something, especially adversely
Some of us have a lower resistance to cold than others
Capacitance
Capacitance is the ratio of the amount of electric charge stored on a conductor to a difference in electric potential. There are two closely related notions of capacitance: self capacitance and mutual capacitance.
Resistance
The impeding or stopping effect exerted by one material thing on another
Air resistance was reduced by streamlining
Capacitance
The ratio of charge to potential on an electrically charged, isolated conductor.
Resistance
The degree to which a substance or device opposes the passage of an electric current, causing energy dissipation. By Ohm's law resistance (measured in ohms) is equal to the voltage divided by the current.
Capacitance
The ratio of the electric charge transferred from one to the other of a pair of conductors to the resulting potential difference between them.
Resistance
The act or an instance of resisting or the capacity to resist.
Capacitance
The property of a circuit element that permits it to store charge.
Resistance
A force that tends to oppose or retard motion.
Capacitance
The part of the circuit exhibiting capacitance.
Resistance
Often Resistance An underground organization engaged in a struggle for national liberation in a country under military or totalitarian occupation.
Capacitance
The property of an electric circuit or its element that permits it to store charge, defined as the ratio of stored charge to potential over that element or circuit (Q/V); SI unit: farad (F).
Resistance
(Psychology) A process in which the ego opposes the conscious recall of anxiety-producing experiences.
Capacitance
An element of an electrical circuit exhibiting capacitance.
Resistance
Ability (of an organism, tissue, or cell) to withstand a destructive agent or condition such as a chemical compound, a disease agent, or an environmental stressor
Antibiotic resistance.
Resistance to fungal diseases.
Drought resistance.
Capacitance
An electrical phenomenon whereby an electric charge is stored.
Resistance
Lack of normal response to a biologically active compound such as a hormone
Insulin resistance.
Capacitance
A measure of the ability of a capacitor to store electrical charge; the ratio of the charge on one plate of a capacitor to the potential difference between the plates.
Resistance
(Electricity) The opposition of a body or substance to current passing through it, resulting in a change of electrical energy into heat or another form of energy.
Capacitance
An electrical phenomenon whereby an electric charge is stored
Resistance
Thermal resistance.
Capacitance
An electrical device characterized by its capacity to store an electric charge
Resistance
The act of resisting, or the capacity to resist.
Widespread resistance to the new urban development plans
The resistance of bacteria to certain antibiotics
Resistance
(physics) A force that tends to oppose motion.
Resistance
(physics) electrical resistance.
Resistance
An underground organisation engaged in a struggle for liberation from forceful occupation; a resistance movement.
Resistance
The act of resisting; opposition, passive or active.
When King Demetrius saw that . . . no resistance was made against him, he sent away all his forces.
Resistance
The quality of not yielding to force or external pressure; that power of a body which acts in opposition to the impulse or pressure of another, or which prevents the effect of another power; as, the resistance of the air to a body passing through it; the resistance of a target to projectiles.
Resistance
A means or method of resisting; that which resists.
Unfold to us some warlike resistance.
Resistance
A certain hindrance or opposition to the passage of an electrical current or discharge offered by conducting bodies. It bears an inverse relation to the conductivity, - good conductors having a small resistance, while poor conductors or insulators have a very high resistance. The unit of resistance is the ohm.
Resistance
The action of opposing something that you disapprove or disagree with;
He encountered a general feeling of resistance from many citizens
Despite opposition from the newspapers he went ahead
Resistance
Any mechanical force that tends to retard or oppose motion
Resistance
A material's opposition to the flow of electric current; measured in ohms
Resistance
The military action of resisting the enemy's advance;
The enemy offered little resistance
Resistance
(medicine) the condition in which an organism can resist disease
Resistance
A secret group organized to overthrow a government or occupation force
Resistance
The degree of unresponsiveness of a disease-causing microorganism to antibiotics or other drugs (as in penicillin-resistant bacteria)
Resistance
(psychiatry) an unwillingness to bring repressed feelings into conscious awareness
Resistance
An electrical device that resists the flow of electrical current
Resistance
Group action in opposition to those in power
Resistance
A property of a substance that reduces the electric current flow due to collisions between charge carriers and atoms.
The high resistance in the wire causes it to heat up when current flows.
Common Curiosities
Do resistance and capacitance serve the same purpose in a circuit?
No, resistance opposes current flow and dissipates energy, while capacitance stores and releases electric charge.
Share Your Discovery
Previous Comparison
Cuisine vs. Cousin
Next Comparison
Rapidly vs. FastAuthor Spotlight
Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
